The present invention relates to distributed electrical power generation and storage, and in particular, to systems, methods, and apparatuses for connecting renewable electrical power generators and/or storage systems and/or Electric Vehicle Charging systems to new and existing conventional electrical power distribution panels, service panels, meters, and meters sockets.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Conventional electrical power service coming in from a conventional electrical grid-based utility service is typically delivered on three wires, two hot and one neutral. These three wires are typically first connected to an electrical meter used by utility companies or commissions that generate and/or distribute electrical power to measure the amount of electrical power consumed by a particular building or other point of use. The consumption end of the electrical power grid is often referred to as the supply side of the distribution system. Conventional supply side electrical meters often include an enveloped instrument, often encased in a glass or other transparent plastic material, with an analog or digital meter that measures the rate at which the building is consuming electrical power. Such electrical meters can be read locally or can be equipped to send production and consumption data back to a central monitoring station via a wired or wireless network. Many of such electrical power meters register various electrical power usage characteristics, such as net total power consumption, which is often measure in in kilo-watt hours (kWh).
Conventionally, the electrical meter is connected to a distribution or service panel with many branch circuit breakers using main disconnect tandem circuit breaker. Sometimes there are spare, unused locations in the distribution panel at which new branch circuits can be added. While it is possible to connect a back feed power supply, i.e. a power supply that stores or generates at the supply side location, to the one of the spare or unused circuits to send electrical power back into the electrical power distribution grid or provide electrical power to be used locally by one or more devices connected to one or more of the other branch circuits, more often than not, there is no room in the distribution panel for more circuits.
Even if there is room for an additional back feed circuit in the distribution panel, the back feed from the local power store, generator or Electric Vehicle charging system can often be larger than code would allow for the given distribution panel rating or size. In particular, most supply side distribution panels do not include circuits with the rating or capability needed to support a utility back feed from a substantial local electrical power generator, such as residential or commercial scale photovoltaic, wind turbine, or hybrid electric power generation installations, and energy storage system like batteries, or an electric vehicle charging system. Additionally, connecting such power systems to a typical distribution panel can trigger a whole host of problems regarding service capacity which can lead to problems with code inspections or require major rewiring.
What is needed is a device for connecting supply side electrical power generators, such as solar, wind, and fuel cell electrical power systems, batteries, or electric vehicle charging systems, to a utility power panel between the main disconnect and the meter, without causing or needing any modifications to the pre-existing main power disconnects or power distribution panels.
Thus, there is a need for improved supply side back feed power meter adapter. The present invention solves these and other problems by providing an improved supply side back feed power meter adapter.